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Sunday, September 18, 2011

My personal statement

I just filled out my residency application. Ugh. Here is my personal statement:

At the last postpartum appointment following the birth of my second child, I wasn't worried for his future. I was worried for my own. I had just gotten my MCAT score and started the medical school application process when I became pregnant. I couldn’t decide if I was more elated or upset. I desperately wanted a second child, but my body and circumstances conspired against that desire for years. My seemingly perfect plan of having two children during premed, then entering medical school with them potty trained and ready for elementary school turned into a dream of having an only child and going to medical school.

Now I was holding a new baby, and my medical school application hung in the balance. Although I was happy my family was now complete, I came to medicine as a second career, and I was already an older applicant. I couldn’t imagine putting off school and residency any longer, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to face the demands of rotations and residency with a toddler at home.

When I told the midwife of my fears, she said, “Why don’t you come to the midwifery school here?” I laughed and immediately refused. I had no interest in obstetrics. I wanted to be an endocrinologist. I thought it would fit my interest in having long term relationships with patients, with lots of opportunities for education during clinical visits.

But, over the next few months, her invitation kept resonating with me. I had loved my prenatal appointments. I read voraciously during my pregnancies, and found the material very interesting. I started the midwifery school when my son was three months old. Two years later, I thought it was the best and worst decision I had ever made.

I found out that I loved everything about medical care of women, especially during pregnancy and birth. I had the continuity and clinic experience I craved. I loved it even when I had been up for a day and a half. I loved it even when there were fluids and meconium and discharge. Yes, I even loved it when the women were screaming. Yet, I was unsatisfied.

The midwives knew it. I would discuss research and evidence. I would read about pregnancy complications that were outside the scope of a midwife’s practice. Although I loved the training, especially the extensive hands on clinical experience, I felt that I meant to be a doctor, not a midwife. I was the first to volunteer to go whenever there was a transfer to a cesarean section. I wanted to be able to do surgeries and advanced procedures. I finally had what I refer to as my “midwife crisis” and left the program to apply to medical school.

Despite being an older student, a working mother, and former midwife student, I was happy to learn I fit in and even excelled at medical school, preclinically and clinically. I was president of the obstetrics and gynecology interest group, and went to every ACOG Annual Clinical Meeting. I had dedication, a work ethic and time management skills earned from my diverse life. I won a research fellowship with a full tuition scholarship, and studied labor and delivery interventions for a year. The fellowship allowed me to work with CDC funded researchers, practitioners around the globe, maternal health care stakeholders, and academics. I also reviewed and contributed to the anniversary edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves, and various medical websites such as KevinMD and Mothers in Medicine, along with getting published in peer-reviewed journals. My hundreds of hours of clinical experience during midwifery training put me way ahead when I started rotations.

I am sure my clinical skills, intellectual capacity and endurance are up to the challenge and that I would be an asset to any obstetrics and gynecology program. I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to shine. My last baby is now almost seven. My dream did come true - my kids are independent, proud of their mom, and can’t wait for me to be a doctor.

There are a couple little grammar things here and there, but otherwise it's great. A statement like this will definitely stand out. You did a great job of highlighting how you are unique, and of convincing people of your passion for women's health. Good luck with interviews.

AMAZING statement. You have given me hope. Thanks for that. I would also suggest what the other ladies have said, just making sure you don't have any grammtical errors. I must say, I am not sure if you posted your personal statement for critique or just for a read. Either way it still inspired me to keep going on with my dreams. Again thank you so much as I needed to read this.

So inspiring, thanks so much for posting this! As a 27 year old mother of one who is just starting the journey to become an MD (heck, just starting the journey to get into medical school!) I love reading about other mothers who`ve done it and had the success you`ve had!

All the best, I`m sure you`ll have no problems getting the OB-GYN residency!

Great, great PS!! I absolutely loved it; other than making sure it doesn't go over the 1-page limit, I don't see any issue with it at all. Good luck during interview season! would love to match together for residency ;)

I would actually revisit the statement. I think that it might be stronger with the first 4 paragraphs either shortened or eliminated. The first 3 paragraphs mainly focus on your original uncertainties about attending medical school at all, and the 4th focuses on the career that you've left behind.

Paragraph 5 is where you start making positive statements about why you chose medicine. I think that it's better to lead with positive statements that focus on why you're where you are now and why they should select you. if you spend 4 paragraphs before you start stating positives, you risk being remembered as "the one who didn't originally want to be here." And with all of your accomplishments and drive, that's clearly not what they should be focusing on!

Mothers in Medicine is a group blog by physician-mothers, writing about the unique challenges and joys of tending to two distinct patient populations, both of whom can be quite demanding. We are on call every. single. day.

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